How I Met the Ending, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombshell

We’ve all been emphasizing the wrong word. It wasn’t “how i met your mother” it was “how i met your mother.”

[SPOILER ALERT:] Before I go in depth, I should say this. I think “Last Forever” was TM, Totally Magnificent.

Exploding High-Five

There, I said it.Tracy is the best character the show has ever given us. I’m as disappointed as the next guy that she kicked the bucket, but the theme of the show was solidified with the final scene.

Ted and Robin… “pulling… it… off!”

Ted and Robin ending up together is not the ending I wanted. It’s not the ending I expected, and it’s not the ending I would’ve approved of just a year or two ago. However, I get it. It made sense. I look at my own life, and someone I know was in the same situation. Years after being widowed, the spark was struck again with an old flame. Life goes on. “‘Til death do us part,” is the vow. It’s okay for Ted to move on.

Silver Linings Playbook

In other news, Barney’s the man.It’s unfortunate he never ended up with someone, but it doesn’t happen for everyone. Again, this show is too real. Neil Patrick Harris absolutely nailed his scene with Ellie. (Who wants to bet Sally winds up being Girl No. 31 in How I Met Your Dad?) Not to mention his hilarious turnabout in the end, trying to help those two girls.

Alyson Hannigan, do yourself a favour. Wear this wig every day.

Marshall and Lily’s marriage turned into something amazing. After years of being a terrible wife and mother, Lily really buckled down and did right by Marshall. He did right by her, as well, being miserable for years, but Fudge Supreme and his lady prevailed in the end. Excellent epilogue.

Blue French Horny

All of that being said, Ted proved what many have beLIEved for years. After all this time, it is a fact. Ted is a douche. There was no reason to lie and make the story sound like it’s about the wonderful Tracy. It’s idiotic and childish to not admit from the get-go, he wants to ask out Robin (however, it does fit his character, the douche).I’ve lived through that conversation. It sucks, but it’s real. Ted should have been real.

Teddy Westside Truly Loved Tracy

Many may view Tracy as Ted’s consolation prize, and that’s true to an extent, but Ted’s voice-over before they meet is too much. It proves he loved her.

“Don’t get excited man. It’s ’cause I’m short, I know.”

He thanks every god ever and anyone else he could possibly thank that he saw that “beautiful girl” and asked her out. That’s something special. It ties perfectly into the “45 day speech” from Season 8’s The Time Traveler’s. The meeting itself is absolutely perfect. I’ve watched it about two dozen times now.

Kid tested. Mother approved?

Ted winding up with Robin: it makes sense. It’s not the ending I wanted, but it is the ending they’ve built toward from the get-go. It’s important not to focus on the title of the show. This story is “literally” the definition of “it’s about the journey not the destination.” and the journey was “legen… wait for it!”

How I Met Your Mother

4.203/5

Final Thoughts: I forgot to point this out. Robin killed Tracy.

“Kids, morals usually come at the end of stories, but this one is so important I’m gonna tell you now. Don’t ever, ever invite an ex to your wedding. If someone had given me that advice, well, it would have changed everything.”

Ted warned us back in season 5 that inviting an ex to a wedding was bad luck. Tracy invited Robin and specifically said to Ted that their seeing each other at MacLaren’s was bad luck. Tracy died because Robin came to the wedding.